Activities

Athens, 28 March 2023: On 17 March, the Greek Council for Refugees (GCR) and the Hellenic League for Human Rights (HLHR) sent a joint letter to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of migrants, the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe and the European Commissioner for Migration and Home Affairs.

PRESS RELEASE

THE ATTEMPT TO SILENCE HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS CONTINUES. WHAT REMAINS TO BE DECIDED ARE ITS ACCOMPANYING MEASURES

Athens, 21/12/2022

On Tuesday, 20.12.2022, the interrogation of Panayote Dimitras took place, following criminal charges brought against him for “setting up a criminal organisation with the purpose of facilitating the illegal entry and stay in Greece of third country nationals”. Following the conclusion of the interrogation, the Investigating Magistrate and the Prosecutor agreed on imposing a prohibition on involvement with the Greek Helsinki Monitor, a civil society organisation of which he is a founding and core member since 1993, while they disagreed on the remaining measures that will be accompanying this prohibition. These are to be decided by the competent Judicial Council.

PRESS RELEASE

WITCH-HUNT AGAINST DEFENDERS OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN COMPLETE REVERSAL OF REALITY

Athens, 19 December 2022

European and international human rights monitoring bodies record systematic and continuous complaints regarding pushbacks (which are always illegal) of refugees at Greece’s borders. These complaints have become commonplace[1]; yet, instead of being investigated, the people and the organisations who denounce them and address the competent bodies are themselves targeted and accused of criminal charges.

Is there a difference between Citizenship and Nationality? Is everyone born in Greece automatically entitled to Greek citizenship or must they meet more conditions? Do they receive a national ID within a few months? And what about honorary naturalizations? How easy is it to become a Greek after all?

How much do we really know about Greek citizenship?

The publication “Greek Citizenship: A Mythbuster” aims to fill the information gap and the lack of meaningful dialogue on an issue that concerns us all: citizenship.

Hellenic League of Human Rights along with 11 civil society organizations and independent media addressed a letter to the Vice-President and Commissioner for Values and Transparency,  Vera Jourova and the member of LIBE committee of the european parliament, to express our serious concerns with regards to the continuous deterioration of the state of the Rule of Law in Greece.

Communication with the DGI Directorate General of Human Rights and Rule of Law, Department for the Execution of Judgments of the ECtHR.

This submission has to be read in relation to the report submitted on the 3rd September 2018 and its addendum of the 16th October 2020 on the Nisiotis group of cases regarding the conditions of detention in prisons in Greece. It aims to provide further information on the current state of the art in relation to detention conditions in Greece and the observance of Art. 3 and to comment on legislative measures taken by the government.

Download the pdf file here.

The Hellenic League for Human Rights is following up with great concern the development of the case of Vassilis Dimakis and demands from the leadership of the Ministry of Civil Protection to find an immediate solution to his legal request for access to education without further risk to his health and life. Vassilis Dimakis, who remains in solitary confinement in the basement of the Korydallos Women’s Prison without the necessary educational means (computer, internet connection) in order to attend his classes at the University, announced on May 24 that he resumes his hunger and thirst strike and that he interrupts even the communication with his lawyer.

In the case of the detained student, the deprivation of his educational rights takes place in derogation from the principle of legality and essentially constitutes the imposition of an additional penalty. Democracy, however, cannot and should not be vindictive. The penitentiary policy of a state governed by the rule of law should not be implemented in terms of human degradation and should not be governed by retaliatory logic. The rights, as rules of individual and collective protection, should be applied for all.

We demand from the competent Ministry to respect the rights of the prisoners, implement the current legislation and make every effort to protect the life of Vassilis Dimakis.

Athens, 21 January 2020

In recent weeks, the Racist Violence Recording Network (RVRN) has witnessed an increasing number of xenophobic and racist incidents,

Hellenic League for Human Rights and more than 400 NGOs co-signs the following statement at the Peoples’ Summit on Climate, Rights and Human Survival

Sign this public statement against the rising far right, racism and discrimination in Europe

Report submitted to Council of Europe, Directorate General of Human Rights and Rule of Law, Department for the Execution of Judgments of the ECHR, for the review procedure on “the Nisiotis group of cases” by the Committee of Ministers.